Chapter 150 : Despair (4)

-30 minutes left until arrival on the moon’s surface.

Natalia’s tense voice.

“…”

“…”

A distance so far that even the connection with the fate threads touching all of Earth was precarious.

Inside the ark shining with beautiful white starlight. All the magical girls gathered there couldn’t take their eyes off the screen Natalia, the Magical Girl of [Navigation], was watching.

The moon observed with the power of the Magical Girl of [Hope].

The moon’s surface. Pale plains.

On the gray plain spread over the dark space, a throne made of cold stone was visible. The place of exile for gods that had existed since ancient times stood alone on the gray plain full of rugged craters.

Four massive thrones without a single gap, as if carved from one huge rock.

The place where four goddesses once banished by humanity were exiled.

Now, no goddess sat on those cold thrones.

Yuki recalled the stairs she had once climbed when gripped by despair.

The miracle in the form of stairs that the three goddesses had descended after humanity’s destruction seemed to be sucked into darkness with each step. Finally, in the throne of nothingness that had entered the gap between dimensions, only fragments of flesh left behind by the three goddesses as they returned to the flow of stars remained.

She had returned one year before the time of destruction.

Yuki had come back here again.

Following the shining hope, overcoming ideals in a form close to perfection while defeating all darkness. The humanity and magical girls she had thus protected were cheering on the girls ascending in the ark from below, fighting against the worst trial.

‘I’m back, I’ve finally come back here again.’

Not in a futile way of retracing where destruction had passed, but to solve the cause of destruction.

She came back not as [Resurrection] but as [Love].

“I have a bad feeling.”

“…I see.”

“When Ichika says that, something always happens.”

“It’s never bad to be prepared.”

“…”

Ichika, who had been sitting with her eyes closed, suddenly muttered. Following her words, Sumire, Hana, Lihua, and Hecate quietly stood up from their seats and drew out their unique weapons or raised starlight.

Whenever Ichika, who had almost prophetic insight in combat situations, gave a warning. A sudden situation always occurred, or an attack that couldn’t have been avoided if not prepared for approached.

“Everyone should prepare for now.”

“We’re already prepared!”

The three who had experienced the importance of that muttering through numerous battles and trials calmly prepared so they could deal with any situation that might occur immediately, as if used to it.

“Meilin, stick behind me.”

“Y-Yes…!”

Li Meilin, the Magical Girl of [Harmony], and Laura, the Magical Girl of [Unity], had almost no combat ability, but they could help magical girls maintain vital activities smoothly in the unfamiliar space of the moon, so they stood up from their seats escorted by the Magical Girls of [Memorization] and [Heavy Armor] respectively.

Something is approaching at high speed.

-Everyone prepare for emergency landing!! The dragon of destruction is approaching!!

-Setting emergency landing mode.

As soon as the words of the Magical Girl of [Hope] in the engine power unit ended, Natasha moved the ark, and a massive whisper was heard inside the shaking ark.

[Return, those living on the surface of the star.]

Along with a vibration that seemed to resonate in their heads, the ark slowly rocked while conveying the dragon’s voice.

A curse of chaos that felt like it would make one lose oneself for an instant passed by.

Guooooo―!!

A black demon with such a presence that the surroundings shook just from passing nearby brushed by.

Black that felt like a single topographical feature just by its body, beyond the realm of living creatures.

Black dragon.

Mountain range of darkness.

It wrapped around the ark lengthwise, shining tens of thousands of pairs of eyes on scales all over its body, emitting chaotic light.

Grrrr―!!

The ceiling and floor swayed and shook, and white starlight flared up greatly for a moment, defending as much as possible.

Boooooom!!

Collision

Inside the ark shaking as if an earthquake had occurred, the magical girls each raised starlight to prepare for the impact. Amidst this, Natasha struggled to operate the ark, trying to slip through between the long body of the attacking dragon of destruction.

“Kugh!! We can’t avoid it!!”

The black dragon as long as a mountain range began to wrap its body around the massive white oval aircraft, and a chilling sound rang out as scars were engraved on the flawless white body. Though it wasn’t completely destroyed thanks to being protected by white starlight. If they remained still like this, they might lose the ark.

-If this continues, the ark will…!

-I’ll stop it.

Hikari, who was watching this situation from the power room, was buying time by sending out Galateas, but while enduring attacks imbued with the blessings of white giant stars and cause and effect reversal, the dragon of destruction was persistently blocking the ark’s navigation.

* * *

Kuuung!!

The dragon of destruction that suddenly sprang out from the moon’s surface and began attacking the ark.

The demon serving as the final gatekeeper of the ritual that the goddess who loved humanity called a ‘trial’ to be overcome, and the star trying to absorb humanity called ‘return’ to be accepted, had approached.

The dragon’s action of rushing at the ark while leaving the throne on the barren lunar surface and the entrance to the will of stars empty. That action was enough to bewilder me for a moment.

‘This can’t stop everything.’

No matter how much it’s the dragon of destruction, it won’t be able to withstand the combined attack of Galatea and fully bloomed magical girls to the end, and if I go down directly during that time and block the passage where the will of stars flows out, this world will completely belong to humanity.

It shouldn’t be unaware of this.

It was a bewildering sight like seeing a goalkeeper running out to the opponent’s camp while leaving the goal empty.

‘I thought it would protect the throne of nothingness to the end…?’

From the basis of the behavior shown by such a dragon of destruction, I could feel the presence of one being still emitting chaotic starlight on the moon’s surface.

The true gatekeeper protecting the will of stars was the divinity that appeared wrapped in that chaotic starlight.

“…”

Is this how it ends up after all.

Drrrrr―!!

[What difference is there between living on the surface of the star and returning to the flow of the star?]

“Muttering without knowing anything since earlier…”

[Return. Stop meaningless actions and come back to the embrace of the star.]

“If it’s meaningless, why are you desperately blocking it? I’ll refuse such things.”

Curse of demons.

Since hearing the news that people enchanted by nihilism that denies even the process of human life itself, viewed thoroughly from the star’s perspective, were entering the wounds of the star. Anger welled up every time I heard that chilling muttering.

“Enchanting people who don’t know anything.”

The six trial demons that suddenly appeared.

They advanced only to harvest human souls, and no matter how many times they were defeated, they divided and revived from their places and advanced again.

[Notice from Elysion Observatory. Currently, due to the six beasts that have appeared on each continent, the number of victims in annihilated cities is es-estimated to be… about 160 million.]

“…”

[The deceased have all turned into golden starlight and disappeared into an unknown space, and we have barely stabilized the front line while activating all fate threads…!]

The world that countless people had been protecting while crying and laughing was rapidly disappearing with just one shake. It was leading the human world to destruction while ridiculously twisting the power that seemed like it could even stop gods, gathered with all our might.

It felt like all our efforts were becoming bubbles.

Even if we used all our power to save just one life, tens of millions of lives disappeared absurdly.

Despair

Pain

Helplessness

That was the fate originally given to this world. So when we tried to lead it in the opposite direction, it resisted with all its might, and when we nudged it just slightly towards destruction, it tipped over like the wind.

I knew, but.

I felt like my heart would collapse as I felt the starlight diminishing along with people’s return, but.

I barely pulled myself together.

“…Not yet.”

-Leader! It looks like Galatea is barely holding on…?!

“Ichika, deal with the dragon of destruction together with everyone. I’ll go to the moon first.”

-Got it!!

Baaaaaag―!!

The magical girls including Ichika wrapped themselves in the blessings of [Harmony] and [Unity], and began the battle with the dragon of destruction that started earlier than expected on top of the ark balancing for emergency landing.

The dragon of destruction couldn’t escape somewhere because it was blocking the ark’s advance, but the same was true for the magical girls. Even so, if they engaged in an honest firepower battle, it would be faster for the magical girls to overwhelm it in one go.

“Natasha, is there enough starlight to land on the moon?”

-Yes…! It’s possible right now if there’s no interference, but…!

“You don’t need to push yourself. Please protect the ark from the dragon of destruction as much as possible.”

-Are you planning to go down first?

“…Yes.”

-I see.

It was a nonchalant response, but one containing Natasha’s faith.

Sailors don’t say goodbye.

Words taught by Nayeon and Natasha, who had memories of parents who went out to sea and never returned.

We believe.

Because we’ll overcome everything like a miracle.

Because we’re moving towards tomorrow, not destruction.

We will struggle to the end.

For a slightly better tomorrow.

I left the ark’s power unit and flew towards the moon’s surface wrapped in white starlight.

――――!!

Silence

Vacuum

What I felt was darkness.

The dark space is so cold and painful that even magical girls can’t endure for long without starlight.

I flew forward, leaving behind the magical girls on the ark continuing fierce battles in the space of [Harmony] and [Unity].

Becoming a single beam of light.

[Deception] Magical Girl’s Unique Skill

Cause and Effect Reversal

Kuung!

Successful landing.

With a slight impact on my legs, I felt the dusty gray plain.

I traversed in one breath with cause and effect reversal a distance that would have required adjusting orbit for a long time in space originally.

“…”

Earth was visible beyond.

Earth, which should have appeared blue due to the oceans, was surrounded by red and black energy. It had a color reminiscent of hell, which gave me chills. It was an even more unfamiliar and chilling shape than when looking at the sky from there.

Like a mass formed by clumps of blood drops.

From the red planet that seemed small enough to cover with a hand, I could feel countless people being sucked into the wounds of the star.

[Welcome. Reincarnation left by the first daughter.]

“…”

Yuki

A girl with a warm heart.

The chaotic divinity was imitating that face.

When in magical girl form, warm white like burning white flame, and when an ordinary girl, lovely appearance with short brown hair. It was imitating the cheeks shyly hidden by short hair and gently curving eyes when smiling.

Color of chaos

Perhaps unable to imitate Yuki’s gentle color, the only difference was the confusing hair color that looked like all colors had been mixed and poured in.

[I am the final magical girl. The Magical Girl of [Stars].]

“…”